The Haileyburian

The Haileyburian

SUMMER 2025
OHA Ignite

Hayley Berry

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The OHA Ignite program is a new initiative designed to support alumni who are founding or scaling their own ventures. Through the scheme, young OHA members gain access to seed funding, mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs within the alumni network and the opportunity to connect with like-minded alumni founders and business leaders.   

By aligning with Haileybury’s emphasis on enterprise and entrepreneurship, OHA Ignite aims to catalyse bold ideas from the alumni community, whether that means taking the first steps towards a start-up or accelerating an early-stage business. Mentors may be matched by industry expertise (for example finance, engineering or investment banking) and the program seeks both applicants and alumni mentors/supporters to participate.  

Apply here

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Dr Ian Watterson (OH 1975) obtained a B.Sc. (Hons I) from The University of Melbourne in 1979 and a Ph.D. in applied mathematics and meteorology at Harvard University in 1985.  He then completed two-year postdoctoral research appointments at the University of Reading in England and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Colorado, where he analysed tropospheric planetary waves, southern hemisphere circulation and the Antarctic ozone hole. 

In 1989, Ian commenced work with CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research at Aspendale. He has contributed to the development of ACCESS, the Australian Community Climate and Earth Systems Simulator, which is the suite of software used to generate Australia’s daily weather forecasts and longer-term climate projections. He has performed large scale computer simulations to analyse the global warming effects of greenhouse gas emissions, and to predict climate change scenarios for the Australian continent. This work has involved extensive international collaborations, notably with the Hadley Centre for Climate Science and Services in the United Kingdom. 

Ian has authored over 100 journal articles and conference papers on meteorology and climate science. He is a Fellow of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society and a Member of the American Meteorological Society. From 2004–2007 he served as a lead author for the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. 

Ian continues to work as an Honorary Fellow for CSIRO Environment, while also devoting greater time to other interests such as music, tennis, sailing, bushwalking and train travel. 

In 2010 Ian became the third recipient of the annual OHA Medal of the Old Haileyburians Association. 

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Over three magical nights, an audience of over 1,500 was held spellbound by Haileybury’s production of the High School Edition of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 

In what was one of Haileybury’s most ambitious Senior School productions to date, the students exceeded all expectations, not only bringing magic to life on the stage but also raising the bar for future productions.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child allowed students to enjoy the benefits of performing a contemporary production within a much-loved story.
“It is really exciting to be one of the first schools to do a script when it’s released for amateur rights,” explains Nicole Smith, Senior School Head of Drama and Theatre Studies.

The cast embraced the opportunity to bring to life their own versions of well-known characters by using the script to explore roles and deepen their understanding of character motivations. 

Drama Captain, Simon in Year 12, enjoyed exploring the complex father-son relationship between his character of the well-meaning Harry Potter and son Albus. “Harry is a man of action, but he still harbours trauma from the original books and I think he forced that back on to his own son Albus,” he says. 

The focus was firmly on stagecraft rather than special effects. “We focussed on the actors creating the magic. The dream of using pyrotechnics couldn’t happen due to safety concerns, so we got creative with lighting, costumes and misdirection,” explains Nicole. 

With its intricate storyline that spans multiple locations and timelines, bringing The Cursed Child to life was a challenge. In the high school edition, the script runs to two and a half hours, down from the original six-hour professional production. The rehearsal process for such a long story was intense, with the ensemble having just eight Sundays to prepare. The lead cast members also dedicated extra time over additional Friday night and lunchtime rehearsals.  

“It was really important to always be positive and show we could have fun while also demonstrating how hard we were supposed to be working,” says Simon. 

Haileybury also drew on valuable community and industry connections for input into the production. Hayden Spencer, a performer in the hugely popular Melbourne production, coached students; while Lee Cohen, a magician and illusionist who had also worked on the commercial production, ran workshops. 

Nicole acknowledges the valuable input of Haileybury’s Lighting designer Matthew Sanderson and set design consultant Christina Logan-Bell, who collaborated to support the cast and crew to stage a truly magical theatre experience.  

Throughout the production, the cast and crew learnt to support each other and meet challenges with creativity and problem-solving. “Our drama captains went to great efforts to make everyone feel part of the show, including our backstage crew, which fostered a strong sense of community and commitment to the show,” Nicole explains. 

Behind the scenes, there were many magical moments for the students. These included the excitement when the ensemble first saw the lighting effects, the closeness of the cast and crew and the excitement as the final curtain fell and it was clear that the students had successfully brought their very own brand of Hogwart’s magic to the stage.   

As a testament to the cast and crew’s hard work, Haileybury’s production of The Cursed Child has been recognised with a record-breaking 17 Lyrebird Award Youth nominations. These awards celebrate and recognise artistic merit and endeavour. 

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The Haileybury Foundation’s Thank You event was held on Thursday, 21 August at the Brighton campus, bringing together donors, current and former scholarship recipients, their families and senior staff in an evening of celebration and gratitude.  

The event celebrated the impact of donors’ generosity, especially in enabling scholarships that support students who might otherwise be unable to access a Haileybury education.  

Forty-nine students have had their lives transformed through the gift of a Haileybury Foundation scholarship. Many of these students were present at the event. 

Highlights included moving speeches by graduating Year 12 scholarship recipients. These personal stories emphasised how Haileybury’s academic programs and co-curricular opportunities have shaped their development, socially, academically and in terms of personal growth.  

Senior Haileybury staff and Haileybury Foundation Board members emphasised how donor support helps ensure accessibility and equity and that the School can nurture talented students regardless of their financial background. The evening reinforced the mission of the Foundation: transforming lives through education. 

In 2026, fifteen new students will commence at Haileybury and Haileybury Pangea as part of the Foundation scholarship program. It was fitting that many of these students and their families were present on the night. Each have their own stories to tell but one area in common, that without the generosity of the Haileybury community, they would not have access to the wonderful opportunities that our School presents. 

Haileybury Foundation donors are changing lives forever. Our donors come from all parts of our community including parents, alumni, past parents, students, staff and corporations. Thanks to this generosity students from incredibly diverse backgrounds have benefited from these life changing scholarships since 2010. For further information about the range of donor opportunities available and to learn more about the impact of a gift to Haileybury Foundation, please contact Russell Davidson at russell.davidson@haileybury.com.au.  

If you would like to support the Haileybury Foundation through a donation, please visit  Haileybury – Online Payments  

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This year, Haileybury’s Middle Schools brought to the stage four beloved musical classics, making this year one to remember for the students, staff, family and friends who supported the productions and made them such a resounding success.  

The Little Mermaid – Castlefield (Brighton)

In August, the Castlefield stage was transformed into a vibrant underwater wonderland for The Little Mermaid. Students dived head first into their roles, creating a magical world of music, colour and laughter.  

The Wizard of Oz – City Campus

This year, City Campus students took on a classic favourite with their lively production of The Wizard of Oz (Youth Edition) at Gasworks Theatre. Over three magical nights, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion led audiences down the yellow brick road, exploring courage, friendship and the importance of home.

Matilda the Musical Jr. – Newlands (Keysborough)

In September, Newlands students energised Aikman Hall with their heartfelt adaptation of Matilda the Musical Jr. After months of rehearsals, the cast and crew delighted audiences over two nights. 

Alice in Wonderland – Edrington (Berwick)

Students took audiences down the rabbit hole as they enchanted audiences with three sold-out productions of Alice in Wonderland.